A Family in 100 Moments
by TortoisetheStoryteller
Summary: A drabble thread following the adventures and misadventures of Will Treaty, his wife Alyss, and their children, with guest appearances by the rest of the gang. Individual ratings vary, but will not rise above a mild T. I will be ignoring The Royal Ranger for this fic.
1. Love

Love

"No, Daniel, give it back!" Alyss hear her daughter call from the other room. She sighed and put down her pen for the fifth time that morning to go settle things between her two oldest children. Will was checking on the outlying villages of the fief, and would be gone for another two days, and baby Arratay was sleeping in a cradle nearby.

It was as she had suspected. Daniel had stolen Evanlyn's favorite doll and was running around the room while she chased him. He was grinning wildly, holding the doll by one foot as its mock Ranger cape fluttered behind him. Alyss moved to intercept Evanlyn, who was closer than Daniel, but the six-year-old was moving with enough speed to knock her mother down.

Alyss fell hard, Evanlyn rolling to one side to continue the chase, and heard something shatter as it hit the floor. She felt a stabbing pain in her arm and turned her head to see a vase shattered on the floor, and blood beginning to run out of her arm when a large piece had impaled her.

Evanlyn and Daniel had stopped running, and were stairing at her, wide-eyed and scared. Alyss pushed away the pain she was beginning to feel, and spoke calmly to them.

"Evanlyn, please go get Grandma Pauline. If she is in a meeting, wait politely until she is done." Evanlyn nodded and ran out the door. Daniel's eyes were beginning to fill with tears, and she turned her attention to him now.

"Daniel, set Ranger Doll on the chair and come sit by me, please," she said, tearing a piece of cloth from her sleeve. She could easily apply preassure herself, but Daniel needed something to distract him. He was only four, after all.

As he complied, Alyss sat up carefully and wrapped the cloth around her arm, careful not to disturb the pottery shard. He was a little young to remember this, but she figured that a little first aid would do no harm, and certainly distract him.

"See how I wrap this?" she asked. Daniel nodded. "I do that so the healer can take the shard out more easily."

"Lotsa blood," he said, his voice scared.

"Yes, there is a lot of blood," Alyss agreed, careful to keep her voice light and pain-free. She didn't want him more scared than he already was. "That's my body trying to push out the bad things."

Daniel looked at the shard carefully, then said, "It not move."

"No, the shard doesn't move," she agreed again, modeling correct grammar. "It's too big. But smaller things can be moved by blood." She hoped he didn't ask what. She had merely come up with an excuse for all the blood so Daniel wouldn't be scared.

Thankfully, that was when a worried-looking Halt appeared, followed closely by a teary Evanlyn. He crouched next to her and reached to examine her arm.

"Pauline went for a healer," he said, his gruff voice gentle. "You're going to be okay."

"Of course I am," Alyss replied, mostly for the children's sake. "It was kind to think of having a healer examine my arm."

Halt looked up sharply, but said nothing. Just then, a healer hurried in and shooed Halt and the children out before kneeling next to her. As Alyss began to allow the pain to seep into her reactions and the healer began extracting the shard, she wondered at the love that made her put the feelings of those that had hurt her first.

**Tortoise here!**

**I just edited these because I discovered that the carefully applied divider between the drabble and the AN didn't appear in the actual story. Terribly sorry. I always hate it when other authors do it, and then I did it too. Very embarrising.**

**I found the prompts for these drabbles on Spookisapuppy's profile, and decided to give them a try. I will do my best to post them in order, but as you can already tell, that might not always happen. I plan to do all 100 though. Subject matter will focus on Will and Alyss and their family with appearences by other characters.**

**Updates will happen whenever I can find time to write in the midst of a busy schedule.**

**~Tortoise**


	2. Introduction

**Disclaimer: Ranger's Apprentice, it's characters, situations, and countries, all belong to John Flanagan, not me.**

Introduction

Alyss Treaty cuddled her sleeping son as she waited for her husband, Will, to get back with their two-year-old daughter Evanlyn. Halt and Pauline had been staying with her in the cabin while Alyss gave birth.

Baby Daniel shifted in his sleep, and Alyss looked down, wondering yet again at his perfect face and tiny fingernails. Some said that all babies looked alike, and somehow she could see that, and yet little Daniel was so different than Evanlyn had been.

Just then she heard running feet and familiar voice calling out, "Mama, Mama!"

Evanlyn burst into the room, followed closely by Will. She threw herself at the bed, but stopped when she saw the bundle her mother held.

"What dat?" she asked, her face wrinkling in an adorable little frown.

"This is your new baby brother, Daniel," Alyss replied.

"Dan'l?" Evanlyn asked, confused.

"That's right, Evie," Will said. "A baby. Remember we've been telling you that Mama's got a baby for you?" They had indeed tried to prepare Evanlyn as much as they could for the birth of the new baby, but apparently their efforts had failed, as demonstrated by Evanlyn's next words.

"Baby," she said firmly, patting her stomach. Alyss and Will exchanged looks, and Alyss tried hard not to start laughing.

"No, sweetie," she said. "That's your tummy. Daniel is a baby."

"Dan'l baby?" Evnalyn said, still frowning.

"I don't think she gets it," Will said, obviously hiding a grin. "We'll have to work on that."

Alyss nodded. Evanlyn was still standing in the middle of the floor, looking confused.

"Will," Alyss said. "Why don't you take Daniel out to meet Halt and Pauline, and I'll tell Evanlyn a story."

"Story!" Evanlyn exclaimed, finishing her interrupted rush to the bed and scrambling up it. Alyss hid a wince as the bed rocked. She was still rather sore.

"Which story do you want, Evie?" she asked.

"Boaw," Evanlyn replied, snuggling against her mother.

"Very well," Alyss said. "Once apon a time Daddy was out in the woods with Grandpa, when they saw tracks. Big tracks. Grandpa told Daddy that they were the tracks of a wild boar..."

Alyss began her daughter's favorite story, about how brave Daddy was, and how he had saved Uncle Horace's life. Not that Evanlyn could remember Horace, since she had been a little short of a year when they had met, but she knew he lived far away with Aunt Cassandra and his children, and that he loved her very much, just like Mommy and Daddy did.

When the story was over, Alyss yawned hugely, unable to conceal her creeping sleepiness. _I wasn't this tired after Evanlyn, was I?_ She wondered. Instantly, Will was at her side. He was always so careful of her during pregnancy and right after birth. At times it could be annoying, but right now Alyss just wanted to sleep.

"Mommy needs a nap now, Evie," Will said, lifting the little girl into his arms.

Evanlyn struggled in his grasp, then went completely limp. "No. No. No. No. No. No," she chanted. Will ignored her protests and carried her bodily to the door, then turned and said, "Sleep well, love."

The closed door muffled the sound of Evanlyn's temper tantrum, and Alyss drifted off to sleep.

**Sorry for the long time between posts. It was a heady combination of no ideas, homework, job, and various other real life things. Plus I was trying to get a family member who has actually given birth to a child to look this over and see if I had written Alyss alright for a woman who has just had a baby. Only the family member in question is busier than I am, so... this has not been looked over.**

**Good news, though. I have the next couple already written, so there shouldn't be so much of a delay. Some delay, yes. I want to get a little bit of headway in case something like this happens again. But less than this.**

**Many thanks to moniquebowman and ImTheAwesomest for reviewing, and boo to the other 74 people who read the previous chapter and didn't care enough to leave a review. That's rude, you know.**

**~Tortoise**


	3. Light

Light

"Mmmf, tee, hee, hee."

"Shhhh, Arratay, he'll hear you,"

"Sorry, Evie."

Halt stepped quietly as he heard the rustles and giggles of children coming from the bedchamber. Pauline was meeting with Baron Arold, and he had been going to read some reports, but the sound of children trying to be quiet had distracted them.

Then he heard a creak, and smelled smoke. Abandoning silence, he barged into his bedchamber, startling his surrogate grandchildren into dropping the lantern on the rug. Halt grabbed the basin of water Pauline kept on her dressing table, and threw it over lantern, rug, and children.

They squealed and jumped back, giving Halt room to pick up the lantern and check for any sign that the flames might have caught. He saw a couple of scorch marks, but nothing to be concerned about. Then he turned to the three Treaty children.

"Just what did you think you were doing?" he asked, his voice deceptively calm.

"W-we were trying to surprise you, Grandpa," Daniel said, his voice quavering a little. They were in trouble, and he knew it.

"We had Jenny bake a cake, an' we were going to light candles, an' sing, an'..." Arratay's voice trailed off as Halt turned his steely gaze on him.

"You could have burned the castle down," he said. "Who gave you any reason to think that any of you are old enough to use fire unsupervised?"

"Mom and Dad let me take a candle to my room," Evanlyn said.

"You're eleven," Halt responded. "You can handle a candle for a short time. You cannot supervise your brothers yet."

He was about to go on, but he heard a voice calling his name.

"Halt?" Will called, obviously agitated. Halt could actually hear his footsteps on the corridor floor.

"I'm in here, Will," he called, not taking his eyes off the children.

"Halt, we can't find the children," Will said as he entered the chambers. "They were supposed to be with Jenny, but she claims they went home..." His voice trailed off as he saw his three children sitting sopping wet on the floor of Halt's bedchamber.

"They're here," Halt said. "They decided to surprise me with a cake and candles, and nearly lit the rug on fire."

"Only because you startled us!" Arratay exclaimed.

Will nodded slowly. "So, what's the penalty for playing with fire?" he asked.

Daniel mumbled something, and Halt said, "Speak up, we can't hear you."

"A five minute run barefoot," Daniel said.

"Before you start," Halt said, "I want to know what you thought you were doing."

The three children were silent a minute, then Evanlyn said, "We were talking about birthdays the other day, and we asked Grandma when yours is. She said it's today. So we were gonna surprise you with a cake and candles."

This was true, as Halt could see the waterlogged remnants of a cake that had been in the middle of the children before he threw the water on them. "I see," he said. "So you think burning my bedroom rug is a good birthday surprise?"

"We didn't mean to burn your rug," Evanlyn said, sounding hurt. "But you rushed in and startled us."

"I rushed in because I smelled smoke," Halt said. "I could hear you giggling and moving around, and I wanted to make sure you were safe."

"Time to clean up," Will said. "Mop up all the water, clean up that cake, and soak the rug to make sure no embers are hiding in it. Then give me your shoes and head for the cabin."

"Yes, sir," the three children groaned, then moved to begin cleaning up. Halt and Will moved back into the main room, and Will doubled over with his hand over his mouth, careful to keep his laughter silent.

"I'm glad you find it funny," Halt said, a touch of amusement creeping into his own voice. "Then again, it's not your home that was almost burned."

"That's true," Will said. "Thank you for finding them. Alyss and I were worried sick."

Just then Arratay walked into the room, carrying the dripping rug. "Grandpa," he said. "Grandma wouldn't tell us. How old are you?"

Halt glared at the five-year-old, then pointed to the floor. "Five push-ups," he said. Arratay sighed and dropped the rug, starting his push-ups. The Treaty children knew better than to protest on of Halt's punishments.

When he was done, he looked Halt in the face and said, "It's okay, Grandma's old too," then headed out into the corridor before Halt could react. Will simply burst out laughing.

**This chapter is for rangersapprenticedasti, my only reviewer last chapter. Come on, you guys are worse than the Star Wars page in terms of reviews per readers.**

**I've read a lot of stories where Halt absolutely spoils his grandchildren, but I just don't think that's in character. I believe that Halt would adore his grandchildren, and do a lot with and for them, but I also believe he would have firm boundaries.**

**Anyways, I have number four written, but I'm horribly stuck on number five, Seeking Solace. Any ideas?**

**~Tortoise**

**P.S. Ranger's Apprentice is the property of John Flanagan, not me. I am making no money off this, merely playing with my favorite characters. However, Evanlyn, Daniel, and Arratay are mine, and you need my permission to use them.**


	4. Dark

Dark

Sixteen-year-old Evanlyn Treaty struggled as the man pulled her deeper into the shadows. She would have screamed, but the man held a grimy, smelly hand over her mouth, and didn't do anything but kick her when she bit it.

He was holding her in a one-armed bear hug, so she moved her hips to one side and struck out for his groin. He collapsed, groaning, and Evanlyn took off over the fields. She would not head for the road, that was where the rest of the bandits were, most likely, and she had no intention of meeting up with them again.

The night was moonless, but Evanlyn knew where she was. Her skirt caught on something, and she carefully detached it, knowing that a fabric scrap could lead the bandits to her. She was not skilled enough in tracking to completely cover her trail, but she could do some things.

She heard the terrified whinnies of her horse, Dapple, and tried not to imagine what the bandits were doing to her. She had to get somewhere safe, somewhere she could wait until the morning to go home.

Why, oh why, had she decided to go home alone? If she had only done as Sandra had suggested, had stayed the night at her friend's farm and gone home the next day. She could have been safe, maybe. Sandra's cousin had been giving her some strange looks, looks that made her feel uncomfortable.

Evanlyn reached the edge of the forest, and realized very soon that she couldn't move through the forest without leaving a trail. Not in the dark, and not in her best dress. So she felt around for something that might conceal her. She was beginning to get very worried when what felt like five minutes of searching found no hiding place, and then she walked into a log.

It went up to her waist, and it rocked a little when she pushed it. She climbed over to find the other side nearly eaten away by rot. It was damp, and smelly, and she knew there must be bugs and dirt, but she was exhausted from a party and the fear of almost being captured. Despite wondering how she was going to fix her best dress, she fell asleep.

She was woken when someone called her name. She opened her eyes to very early morning sunlight and her father, Will Treaty, crouched in front of her. When she opened her eyes, he relaxed and smiled at her.

"You gave us such a scared, Evie," he said, using his pet name for her. "When Dapple came home alone we were convinced that something had happened to you."

"They didn't kill her?" Evanlyn asked, eagerly.

"Who is they?" Will asked, suspicion coming into his eyes.

"The bandits," Evanlyn replied. "They set on me on my way home. That's why I didn't make it home." She hesitated, then added, "Dad, they knew who I was. They called me by name. They boasted that with me as a captive, they could make you do anything."

"Why didn't you stay at Sandra's?" he asked, his face grave.

"I thought I could make it home," she replied. "Dapple knows the way almost as well as I do."

Her father must have seen that she was hiding something, because he looked directly into her eyes, then raised one eyebrow, just like Grandpa did sometimes. Evanlyn was unable to meet his gaze, and dropped her eyes to her torn and stained skirt. Definately beyond repair.

"Any other reason?" Will asked, his voice gentle.

"Her cousin," Evanlyn admitted.

"The one Sandra threw the party for?" he asked.

"That's the one," Evanlyn confirmed. "He gave me strange glances all evening, and he was always hanging around me. It made me nervous."

Will nodded, then stood and offered her his hand. She clasped it, and stood with his assistance. "Let's get you home," he said. "Poor Dapple was badly scared, and I left her resting in the stable, but I doubt Tug will mind carrying two the short way home."

"What about the bandits?" Evanlyn asked.

"You don't need to worry about them," Will said. "I'll take care of them."

Evanlyn heard something strange in his voice, and turned to see her father with a strange, frightening expression on his face. She turned back around quickly and for a moment she almost felt sorry for the bandits.

**Ranger's Apprentice and it's characters and countries are the property of John Flanagan, I'm just playing with them.**

**Here's another drabble! Enjoy it, because until I get a good idea for Seeking Solace, you don't get any more. And Break Away starts a series that had my friend rather annoyed at me...**

**Anyways, this is dedicated to my loyal reviewers, moniquebowman, Riley7741, RainSpell, RangerWisdom, and SpottedOwl88, who was especially kind regarding my characterization of Halt.**

**Until I get a good idea,**

**~Tortoise**


	5. Seeking Solace

Seeking Solace

Will Treaty left Tug in the stable and headed for the house through the chill autumn wind. He could tell that Alyss had dropped the kids off at Halt and Pauline's, because he hadn't been mobbed by children the moment he entered the clearing where his cabin was. Even 2-year-old Arratay would attempt to beat his older brother and sister to their father.

Stepping inside, Will was a little bit startled to realize that the fire had gone out. Alyss hadn't gotten so behind on her Courier work that she would be gone more than a day since Arratay was born. Not even when she had lost their baby last year. Of course, being pregnant again wasn't helping matters, but still.

There was a note, scrawled in Evanlyn's attempt at neat handwriting, on the table.

_Dad,_

_Mom is sick, but Grandma and Grandpa won't say with what. She seemed fine _

_this morning, but around noon she went to the Healers, and we aren't allowed to _

_see her. I'm fine, and Daniel is good, but Arratay is scared. I gotta go, Grandpa_

_doesn't know I'm leaving this. _

_Love,_

_Evanlyn_

Will looked up in shock. It was evening now. What would make his wife sick by noon that wouldn't appear in the morning? He turned and ran back out to the stable.

Tug looked up from his waterbucket, annoyed when Will got out the saddleblanket.

_I just got home,_ he said.

"Alyss is sick, and Halt and Pauline won't tell the kids what is going on," Will said. "And the fire in the house is out."

Tug was all business. _Can't you put that saddle on faster?_ he asked.

Will galloped the whole way to Castle Redmont, even though it wasn't all that far. The whole time his heart was pounding harder than Tug's hooves, and he was trying not to imagine the direst of circumstances.

When he rode into the courtyard, Halt was just riding out on Abelard.

"Will!" he said. "You're back early. We didn't expect you until tomorrow."

"Where's Alyss?" Will asked. "Evanlyn left a note in the cabin that said she was sick."

"How did she- Never mind," Halt said. "Will, Alyss is going to be okay, but you should go to the Healers."

Will rode until he was right up by Halt. "What happened?" he said, his tone both dark and pleading.

"She lost the babies, Will," Halt said. "She went into labor midmorning yesterday, and she asked us to watch the kids until you returned."

Will just stared at Halt. "B-b-but she's eight months pregnant," he said, trying to convince himself that this couldn't be happening, not again. "Wait, babies?" he asked, as a certain turn of phrase registered in his mind.

"Go see her," Halt said gently. "I'll take care of Tug for you."

_Go on,_ Tug said. _I'll be fine._

Will vaulted from the saddle and ran to the Healers, ignoring the fact that Rangers were supposed to be mysterious. It took no more than a look for the healer in charge to direct him straight to the room where his beautiful wife was watching the last of the sunset out her window.

"Alyss," he said, softly. She turned her head, and he saw that she was crying. He went to her, and the healer closed the door behind him. Will sat next to his beautiful wife and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm sorry," Alyss murmmered. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"For what?" Will asked.

"For loosing your child," she said, barely intelligible through her tears. "There has to be something wrong with me. I'm -"

"You're my wife," Will said, putting his hand over her mouth to stop her flow of self-recrimination. "Loosing this baby was not your fault, any more than the last one was. Nothing is wrong with you, I asked Malcolm when you lost the last one. He said that sometimes a child doesn't develop right in the womb, and wouldn't survive. When that happens, the pregnancy ends."

"Babies," Alyss said. "I was pregnant with twins. I've lost as many children as I've kept." She started weeping harder, and all Will could do was hold her close and mumered things in her ear, hoping to reach her.

She had been like this after the last baby too. She would cry for a while, then pick up life anew, as much as one could. He knew that, like him, she still mourned their dead child. Children.

Twins. He had fathered twins. What would it have been like to raise twins? They had a hard time managing one infant in the house, what would two have been like? Will wished he could have held them.

They both cried for a long time, as the sky turned from firey, to pastel, to dark. The stars were coming out when Alyss spoke again.

"Will?" she said, her voice raspy. Will reached for a glass and the water pitcher on the table.

"Yes, love?" he asked as he poured her a glass of water. Hearing his own voice, he realized that he should probably pour one for himself.

"I don't want to keep doing this," she said as she accepted the water.

"Keep doing what?" Will asked as he poured a glass of water for himself.

"Keep loosing children," she said. "I know we talked about a big family, but, I can't keep doing this. Wondering if I'm going to loose yet another pregnancy. The healers have a way I can keep from getting pregnant."

Will's heart was sore as he swallowed his water. Having grown up as orphans, he and Alyss had wanted a large family, so that their children would always have someone to understand them. And yet...

"I agree," he said, though he almost began crying again. "We have three beautiful children, and that will be enough."

Alyss smiled at him, tears still streaking her face. "I was worried you wouldn't understand," she said.

"I miss our children too," he said. "I wish I could have held them."

"You can," Alyss said. "I asked the healers to wait to bury them until after you got to hold them."

Will kissed her forehead in gratitude. "You are a marvelous woman, Alyss," he said.

"They're perfect," she said with a yawn. "A boy and a girl."

"Sleep, love," Will said. "I'll see the children, and tell them what happened. Halt and Pauline didn't say anything."

"I asked them not to," Alyss said. "I wanted one of us to tell them."

Will smiled sadly and turned away. His hand was on the doorknob when Alyss called him back.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I want to name them," she said. "We didn't name the one last year, but I want to name these two."

"We'll name all three of them tomorrow," Will said. "Right now, you need to rest and I need to comfort our children."

Alyss nodded and closed her eyes. Will stood a moment, looking at her. She looked so peaceful, fast asleep with tear streaks on her face.

Then he turned and left. Tomorrow, they would begin to put their lives back together, but tonight, they would mourn.

**No more school until next year! This is being published in celebration of that fact. No more studying until my gluteus maximus is numb!**

**And that is Seeking Solace. Yes, it's very sad, but with the prompt, did you think it would be happy? And of course I got the idea for this right after I published the previous drabble.**

**Many thanks to moniquebowman, SpottedOwl88 (guest), Ranger Wisdom, Guest, and kate (guest) for reviewing!**

**Happy whatever-holiday-you-celebrate, and may you eat until you collapse!**

**~Tortoise**


	6. Break Away

Break Away

CRAAAK! The sound was loud enough to wake Will through the storm. It wasn't unusual for the Ranger to wake up several times during a thunderstorm, but this was different somehow.

The reason for the difference became clear when he heard the cry from his sons' bedroom. He vaulted out of bed, grabbed his belt, and hurried down the corridor to the addition, whereupon he found his way blocked by a huge tree limb.

He could still hear his sons' cries, but he couldn't tell if they were cries of fear or pain. Drawing his saxe knife, he began cutting off the smaller branches so he could climb over the limb.

"Will!" he heard a voice call behind him. It was his wife, Alyss.

"I'll get the boys," he called back. "You have something hot ready for them. Towels too." Then he returned his attention to cutting.

He was most of the way over the limb when he felt the limb shaking, and realized that someone else was cutting branches as well. _That'll be Daniel,_ Will thought. At twelve, Daniel had been judged old enough to keep a knife in his room, out of reach of his little brothers, ten-year-old Arratay and four-year-old Nathaniel.

However, as Will cut his way through a particularly thick swath of branches, he caught sight of Arratay's blond mop, darkened and slicked to his head by the rain. Working from both sides, the two Treatys managed to cut through the last branch in the way. The reprimand Will had planned died on his lips as Arratay grabbed his father's arm and began pulling.

"Hurry, Dad," he said urgently. "Nate is trapped!"

Will hurried into the boys' bedchamber to find Daniel soothing a terrified Nate, who was trapped beneath another branch. When he saw his father, Nate tried to move, but Daniel stopped him.

Will passed through the part of the room that still had a roof to kneel beside his youngest son. Nate was soaking, shivering and crying, but Will didn't see any blood.

"Hush, Nate, I'm here. It's going to be okay," he soothed, looking for a way to get him out from under the branch. It looked as though Nate was only pinned, not hurt, but Will wanted to be sure before he did anything.

The tree limb hadn't crushed the bed, and there was a small space near Nate. "Arratay," Will said, "crawl in there and see if the limb is crushing any part of Nate's body."

Arratay complied, and Will spend an agonizing few moments waiting for an answer. Nate had been a surprise after Alyss' two miscarriages, and never was a surprise more delightful.

A moment later they heard Arratay's voice, "I don't see it crushing his body, but his left leg is very close to being crushed. If the limb shifts, it will be."

Will took a deep breath. The wind was increasing in strength, and he had to get his son out of danger. Suddenly, the wind gusted far harder than it had done so far. The limb creaked, then rolled. Nate cried out in pain, his sobbing increasing.

Arratay rolled out from under the limb. "It's rolled onto his foot, Dad!" he said. Will came to an abrupt decision. He had to rescue his son before anything worse happened.

"Daniel, you and I are going to lift this limb off Nate. Arratay, you will pull him out from under the limb, then go and tell your mother what happened so she will be prepared. Be sure to do it calmly. Ready?"

"Just a minute, Dad," Daniel said, darting off towards his bed. The mattress was sodden and he staggered as he dragged it over and set it next to Nate's bed. "It's softer than the floor," he said, in answer to Will's questioning look.

"Good thinking," Will said. "Ready?"

Both boys nodded. "Then heave," Will told Daniel, and they both lifted a portion of the limb, and Arratay dragged his little brother onto the mattress before darting off towards the kitchen.

Nate had fainted from the pain of his foot, which had been crushed by a big branch. The toes were alright, but the foot itself was a mass of blood. Will thought he could see a little bit of bone.

He picked up his son and headed for the door. As he negotiated through the forest of branches, trying not to jar Nate, Daniel pushed them aside, then straddled the largest part of the limb, which Will had left.

"Pass him up to me," Daniel said, his face worried. "I'll hold him while you climb over."

Will passed Nate up, then vaulted over and took him back. Alyss met him in the hall.

"What happened?" she asked, her face worried.

"A limb crushed Nate's foot," Will said, striding into the main room and laying his son down on the couch. Then he took a step back and began thinking hard. A wound like that could kill his son if it became infected, and would certainly cause him to limp for the rest of his life. He would need really expert care, and the best in the kingdom was...

Will spun and grabbed his cloak from it's peg, then started filling a bag with supplies.

"Where are you going, Dad?" Evanlyn asked. She was watching a pot of water on the stove top.

"I'm going to fetch Malcolm the healer," he said. "He's the best healer in the kingdom." Then he turned to Alyss. "Will you be alright?" he asked, gently.

"Of course I will!" she said. "Go get Malcolm. If I need anything I'll send for Halt."

Will nodded, then turned to his children. "Obey your mother while I'm gone. When this storm is over, get Grandpa Halt and a healer in that order." Then he turned back to Alyss. "Make sure that someone writes down everything the healer does and gives to Nate. Malcom will need to know that."

He kissed her on the lips, then ran out the door and towards the stable.

**Ahhh... Holidays are mostly over for me, and I have time to post again. A present for all my lovely reviewers, I'm going to post five connected drabbles over the next five days. I will warn you, a long-distance friend threatened to smack me over the ensuing drabble thread. Angst is not a common feature in my work, but it will be here.**

**Many thanks to moniquebowman and Ranger Wisdom for reviewing the previous drabble. You two are my most loyal reviewers, and I appreciate your comments immensely.**

**Hope your holidays were full of food and family, and may the return to real life not be too jarring!**

** ~Tortoise**


	7. In the Storm

**Ranger's Apprentice is the property of John Flanagan, not me. I am making no money off of this, merely playing in his sandbox.**

In the Storm

The rain pounded on Will Treaty's head and into his face as he trotted Tug. It was nearing dawn, he guessed, and the storm had yet to abate. Usually he would never have risked a ride in such weather. But his son's life was in danger, and that was more than enough to drive him onward.

Lighting crashed overhead and thunder rolled. Tug tossed his head a little, but continued. Will patted his neck, grateful for such a brave horse. The storm seemed to hardly bother Tug.

_Of course it bothers me,_ the little horse replied. _But Nate needs a healer more than I need to be in my stable._

"Thanks, Tug," Will shouted over the noise of the storm.

_Nate never begrudges me an apple, and he's a good rider,_ Tug said.

"Have I ever begrudged you an apple?" Will asked, still yelling.

_Well...,_ Tug began, then a heavier swirl of rain hit them, and both horse and rider lost interest in conversation for a while.

It was mid-morning of the following day before the storm stopped, and the rain only grizzled down. It was still cold, and Will was soaked to the skin, but the thunder and lighting had finally stopped.

Will rode along, letting himself doze in the saddle, just a little. Then he felt himself sliding off, and woke up just in time to land in a mud puddle.

_I think it's time you ran,_ Tug said.

"Apparently," Will said, getting up from the mud and tying Tug's reins up and out of the way on the saddle bow.

The two old friends walked along in silence, thinking of the suffering four-year-old back at the little cabin. Every instinct in Will screamed for him to gallop Tug all the way to Norgate Fief and Healer's Clearing. But he knew that would only exhaust Tug and slow him down in the long run, so he continued to alternate running and riding.

Morning turned to afternoon turned to evening, and the rain showed no signs of letting up. Will was exhausted, having been up for almost twenty-four hours. He was swaying in the saddle as he approached a larger village with a two-story inn.

_You should sleep,_ Tug said.

"I have to fetch Malcolm," Will argued back.

_You're too tired to continue today,_ Tug said. _Sleep tonight, and we can ride hard tomorrow to make up the time._

Will had to acknowledge the wisdom in his horse's words. He would be no help if he arrived at Healer's Clearing too tired to tell Malcolm about Nate.

He got a room at the inn, managed to gulp some supper, and fell into bed, telling himself to get up at dawn.

By the time the sun was fully above the horizon, Will and Tug were on their way. The rain had turned the road to a small stream with islands of mud in it. One side was right underneath some trees, and a little higher than the rest of the road. Will kept Tug to that side of the road.

Despite that, by the time they reached Mackindaw in the early afternoon, both horse and rider were covered in mud.

As they rode toward Grimsdale Wood, Will couldn't help remembering the last time he had called on Malcolm, that horrible time that Halt had nearly died of poison. Now Will needed him again.

Riding into the wood, Will ducked tree limbs and stay-with-me vines as he rode along what he thought was the right trail. Unlike last time, he didn't need to ask Tug to search for Grimsdale Mere, the trail deposited him right on it's bank. In a different spot than he had visited the last two times he had been there.

He was about to use the method he had used last time, summoning Shadow and following her to Healer's Clearing, when he saw a huge shape in the woods.

"Trobar?" he called, thinking he recognized it. Then there was a sharp bark, and a black and white Border Collie left the woods and trotted up to Tug.

"Shadow!" Will said in delight. Then looking to the figure still hiding in the woods, he called out, "Trobar, it's me! Will Treaty!"

"Wi' Tr'ety?" Trobar asked, stepping out from the woods.

"Yes," Will said. "I need Malcolm help again. A limb fell on my son's foot and crushed it. I need Malcolm to fix it. The healer at Redmont will likely just try to cut it off."

"There's every likelihood it will need to be cut off," Malcolm said, stepping out from behind Trobar. "A crushed appendage is notoriously fussy."

"Please, Malcolm," Will begged. "He's my son. I don't want him to be crippled."

Malcolm looked at him with compassion. "Will, every parent wants that for their child. But I cannon gurantee anything."

"But you can do more than any other healer in Araluen," Will pleaded.

Malcolm sighed. "Why is it," he asked no one in particular, "that whenever I see a Ranger, it involves some sort of predicament?"

**And that's In the Storm. Many thanks to moniquebowman and jellyfish1234 for reviewing. Next part tomorrow!**

** ~Tortoise**


	8. Breath Again

Breathe Again

Alyss' nerves were fraying closer and closer to their breaking point. Not only with dealing with Nate, whose foot pained him dreadfully, but also the healer, who was rather put out that Will had gone for Malcolm, and the other three children, who still needed their mother, no matter being older.

_If it weren't for Halt and Pauline,_ Alyss thought ruefully, _I'd be sunk. And Will's coffee supply,_ she added. She had been practically living on the stuff for the past five days.

The sound of hoofbeats outside startled her out of her reverie. She hurried to the door of the cabin, and almost cried aloud with relief. Will was in front of the cabin, helping Malcolm down off Tug.

"I don't know how you Rangers do it," Malcolm was saying. "Being in the saddle all the time." Then he looked up and saw her.

"Alyss!" he said. "How good to see you. How is Nate?"

"Mark, the Redmont healer, seems to think he is doing well for now, but keeps insisting that we amputate his foot."

"That, I fear, will be what ends up happening," Malcolm sighed. "Crushings are so tempramental, you can never tell how it is going to end. But I will do everything in my power to prevent that."

"I'm sure you will," Halt said, standing by the side of the house. Alyss hadn't heard him approach, but that was normal. "And maybe you can get these two mother hens to actually sleep while you're at it," he continued, gesturing at Alyss and Will. "Alyss for one has hardly slept ten hours since Nate was hurt, and she's worked her way through most of the coffee, what is usually a month's supply."

Will looked accusingly at Alyss, but she didn't meet his eyes. There would be time to talk all this over when Nate was on the mend.

Malcolm was more vocal. "Are you trying to distract me?" he asked. "Because if you don't sleep, you'll fall ill, and then I'll have two patients to deal with. Three if I can't get that stubborn husband of yours to sleep either."

"You heard the man," Halt said, making shooing motions with his hands. "Off to bed. Pauline and I know enough of what's been happening with Nate to brief Malcolm. I'll take care of Tug, now GO!"

Inside, Alyss watched as Will greeted each of the older children, then followed him as he entered their bedroom. Now that she felt Nate was in responsible hands, she was overwhelmed with sleep. Will removed his boots and belt and she took the pins out of her bun, and then they both collapsed on the bed, asleep.

** This is the next bit. Gotta go. Two more sections. Bye!**

** ~Tortoise**


	9. Heal

**Ranger's Apprentice belongs to John Flanagan, not me. I'm just having fun.**

Heal

It was early morning when Will awoke. For a moment, he just lay there, trying to marshal his thoughts. Everything had moved so quickly since the tree limb had crushed little Nathaiel's foot. His wild ride to fetch Malcolm the healer, then the arduous trip home, with Will desprete to get back to his son, but having to balance that with Malcolm's inexperience as a rider. And that whole time Alyss had been subsisting on adrenilene and coffee.

Will rose, careful not to disturb Alyss, and removed his travel-stained clothes, changing into ones from the dirty pile. They didn't smell as bad as the travel-stained ones did, and he himself was too dirty to put on fresh clothes. He would changed that after he washed.

Entering the main room, he smelled hot coffee and bacon. Evanlyn was frying it, while Halt sat at the table, drinking a mug of coffee. Daniel and Arratay were nowhere in sight.

"Morning Will," Halt said without looking at Will. "Get some coffee and bacon, and then a bath. Malcolm is asleep in Evanlyn's room, and will likely stay that way for some time."

Will nodded and went to fetch a plate and mug. Evanlyn met him halfway with a mug of steaming coffee and a plate piled high with bacon. "I'll have eggs done in a few minutes," she said.

Will kissed her forehead as he took his breakfast from her. "You are a wonder, Evie," he said._ Not many fourteen-year-old would be able to stand this,_ he thought, remembering a couple of the village girls who had gone through similar situations. Both had broken down and been emotional messes.

Malcolm left the sick room and accepted a cup of coffee mixed with milk from Evanlyn.

"How is he?" Will asked.

"Not well," Malcolm said, frowning. "The foot is badly crushed, and I can't set it entirely to rights. He'll limp the rest of his life, I'm afraid. But I've done what I can, and now the bones just have to knit together."

Will breathed a sigh of relief. "But he won't loose the foot."

Malcolm continued to frown as he swallowed his coffee. "Actually," he said, "there is still a chance that he might loose it. I have no way of knowing if it was infected or not. He had a lot of tissue that wasn't covered by skin. He still does, actually. Only time will tell."

"How long until we know he's out of danger?" Halt asked. Will had frozen up at the danger his son was still in.

"I would say about two weeks," Malcolm replied. "Of course, you'll have to be careful until he's completely healed, say about six months. But in two weeks we should know if infection has set in."

Will's breakfast turned to ashes in his mouth. Two weeks was a long time, and he knew there was no way he would be able to do his job as a King's Ranger with his son in danger like this.

Halt, noticing Will's face paling, leaned over and said, "Crowley has called in Gilan to cover for us." Will nodded, then forgot that worry. Gilan was the Ranger he trusted most, next to Halt. Redmont would be fine with him in charge.

But this was going to be a long two weeks.

**Tortoise here again! Just two more chapters in this thread. Only two more days until you know Nate's fate.**

**Many thanks to moniquebowman and jellyfish1234, who have been my most faithful reviewers. Without their support, I would likely have lost interest in this already.**

** ~Tortoise**


	10. Dying

**Ranger's Apprentice belongs to John Flanagan, not me.**

Dying

Nate was dying. Will was sure of it. He could see the angry red lines stealing up his son's leg from the crushed foot. Nate hadn't been fully conscious in almost 24 hours, tossing and turning with fever.

Will hadn't said anything to Alyss or the other children. He could still see hope in their eyes when Malcolm spoke of "turning point" and "time will tell". He guessed that Halt had come to the same conclusion. He wasn't sure about Pauline. She was too good at hiding her emotions.

Nate kicked the bankets off yet again and mumbled something inaudible. Will recovered his and layed a kiss on his precious son's head. After two miscarriages, Will and Alyss had agree to stop trying to increase their family. Two years later, Alyss became pregnant, and Nathaniel, their precious gift, had been born. Only to be taken away a mere 4 years later. Will wished that he could strangle the higher power that had made that decision.

"Will." It was Malcolm, sympathy in his eyes. "Go sleep. Alyss is worried, and she needs some comforting."

Will shook his head. "I want to be here when he dies."

Malcolm's eyes got sadder, if that were possible. "Nate is too strong to die in the next few hours," he said. "Go sleep."

Will stood and did as he said, looking back once to the tossing form on the bed.

When Will woke several hours later, Nate was no better. If anything, he was worse. Malcolm met with him and Alyss in the sick room while Halt and Pauline took the older children to Jenny's. Nate needed more and more care, and the others just weren't getting the attention they needed. Jenny adored the Treaty children, and the feeling was mutual. They would be well-cared for there.

"I'm sorry to say this, but if we do nothing, Nate will die," Malcolm said. Alyss gave a little cry, and Will held her close, letting her put her head right by his. Nate moaned in his fevered sleep.

"However," Malcolm continued, "if we amputate the foot, there is a chance he could survive."

Alyss was crying now. The emotions and lack of sleep of the past week and a half had caught up with her. Will held her, rocking softly side to side, the way he had when she had miscarried, his tears mingling with hers. Malcolm turned to bend over Nate, giving the two what privacy he could.

It was a long time before the couple could bring themselves to where they were ready to listen. But when Alyss, her face still streaked with tears, turned to Malcolm, her voice didn't shake as she asked, "What are his chances if we remove the foot?"

"I'd guess about 75% chance that he'll pull through and be completely healthy afterwords, and another 5% chance that he'll live, but he'll be an invalid and probably die young."

_That's only 80% altogther,_ Will thought, but he put on a brave face and asked, "What do you think, Alyss?"

"I think we should do it," Alyss said, her voice starting to quaver again.

Trying very hard not to think of the 20% chance that Nate would die, Will said, "I agree."

**Just one more drabble to go!**

**Many thanks to moniquebowman, jellyfish1234, and wheretheresawill for reviewing.**

** ~Tortoise**


	11. Sorrow

**Ranger's Apprentice belongs to John Flanagan, not me.**

Sorrow

Will watched, his eyes misting, as the cart pulling the long, flat box disappeared through the trees. He would miss him greatly. But Malcolm's people needed him, and there wasn't any reason for him to stay longer.

"Daddy?" a small voice asked from the chair next to him.

Will smiled as he said, "Yes Nate?"

"I wanna go inside." Nate still wasn't strong enough to use a cane, but could hop a few paces if he was holding on to Tug or Ebony.

"How do you ask that?" Will asked, but he was already reaching down to scoop the small form out of the chair that Baron Arald had ordered built for him.

"Please!" Nate said with a giggle as his father picked him up.

"That's it," Will said, entering the main room. Alyss was at Castle Redmont, catching up on work that had piled up, but Evanlyn, Daniel, and Arratay were all studying hard at the table. Nate's accident had interrupted all their lives, and now it was time to start things up again. Speaking of which...

Will set Nate on the couch with a slate and some chalk, then said, "I have to go practice. Everyone behave until I get back."

There was a chorus of "Yes Dad"s from them all, and Will knew that they were likely to stick to their word, for a while. Still, a short practice was in order.

As he sent arrow after arrow flying towards the targets, Will pretended they were whatever demon had sent the tree toppling that stormy night nearly a month ago. The operation had been successful, and Nate's left leg now ended right above where his ankle had been. Malcolm had a cast of the boy's stump, and had promised to have on of his people make him a fake foot he could hobble on; the Treatys were going to travel to Norgate Fief so that Nate have his foot fitted exactly to him. But it would never be the same. Will would never be run ragged by Nate's boundless energy again. No matter how much energy he had, Nate would likely never go faster than a fast hobble.

It wasn't like no one cared. Baron Arald had had a small chair made that was just Nate's size, and sent his men to remove the tree limb and fix the house. After the harvest was in, the men would be back to remove the entire tree. Will had wanted to burn it, but Halt suggested they use it to make various things that Nate would need to compensate for his injury.

"He'll need a new cane whenever he grows more than an inch or so," Halt had pointed out. "And I have no doubt that fake foot Malcolm is nattering on about will need to be replaced several times. Not to mention a mounting block when he gets his horse."

Crowley had already written Old Bob to start training a horse for Nate, so he would be able to get around. Ranger horses were very intelligent, and their small stature made them perfect for children. Tug had always been excellent with the Treaty children. Even when they pulled his hair.

Will was almost done when he heard shouting from the house. Leaving his arrows in the targets he ran back, only to find all four of his children in a heated argument over something. He couldn't figure out what it was, or who had started it, so he finally sent Evanlyn to fetch his arrows, Daniel to chop firewood, and Arratay to fetch water before he sat on the couch with Nate.

The two sat in silence for a bit until Nate said, "Daddy?"

"What is it, Nate?" Will asked, grateful he could still talk to his youngest son.

"Is I gonna walk?"

This was not what Will expected. He wanted to say 'of course you're going to walk', but he knew what Nate meant. Nate was always moving before the accident. If he wasn't running he was climbing, or riding Tug, or getting into mischief somehow.

"Not like before," Will said, honestly. "Malcolm has gone home, and his friend James is going to make you a wooden foot to walk a little bit, but you won't walk like before."

"I gonna run?" Nate asked hopefully.

Will's heart was heavy as he answered, "I don't think so, son."

Nate's lip was starting to quiver as he asked, "I gonna climb?"

Will, but this time frantic for something his son would be able to do, seized apon this notion. Come to think of it, climbing trees was a much in the arms and stomach muscles as in feet. Alyss wouldn't like it much, of course, but... "Of course you can." Will said firmly. "When you are stronger, I'll teach you to climb trees, and-"

"Silly Daddy," Nate giggled. "I can climb tree."

"It will be different without your foot," Will said, "and you'll have to learn to climb a little differently..." His voice faded as Nat's lower lip began to stick out a little.

"Daddy," he said. "Why me not got foot?"

So. That was what he wanted. Alyss had explained this to him when she thought he was strong enough, but maybe he had forgotten.

"After the tree crushed your foot," Will said, cuddling Nate closer, "bad things got into the wound. They made you very sick, and we couldn't get them out. We had to cut your foot off to keep the bad things from killing you."

Will had wanted to be the one to cut. His saxe knife was sharp enough to cut through bone, and he wanted to be there for his son. But Malcolm had insisted that he didn't have the technique, and he and the Redmont healer had absconded with his saxe knife and sent him and Alyss to spend some time with their other children.

"What bad things?" Nate asked, pulling Will from his memories.

"Dirt," said Will. He thought there was more to it than that, but it was the only thing he could come up with. He wished he had thought to ask Malcolm.

"Dirt inna garden?" Nate asked, confused. "Good dirt. Grow yummy food."

Will nodded. "Dirt in the garden is good. Dirt on the floor of the cabin makes Mommy mad. Dirt in a wound makes you sick. Dirt in your food-"

"Is yucky!" Nate said, then chuckled his rich, merry chuckle that Will had thought he would never hear again. He laughed along with his son, and that was how Alyss found them, laughing over funny places for dirt.

**I am so sorry I am late publishing this. My laptop no longer connects to the Internet for some unfathomable reason, and I only just managed to pray a roommate off their computer when I wasn't busy. I really did intend to be on time with this.**

**Many thanks to wheretheresawill, jellyfish1234, Ranger Wisdom, and Neimad Do'Urden for reviewing. I loved reading your reactions! I can't wait to see the reviews for this chapter. *evil grin***

**The next update won't be until I've fixed my laptop, and Force knows when that will be. At least this one isn't a cliffy.**

** ~Tortoise**


	12. Heaven

**I don't own Ranger's Apprentice, John Flanagan does.**

Heaven

Nathaniel Treaty felt like he was flying as his horse, Amigo, lept over the log, a remnant of the tree that had dropped a limb on his bedroom and crushed his foot. He loved being on Amigo's back.

After his foot had been crushed, it had been amputated to save his life. Nate understood the reasoning, but he didn't like having to hobble around. On Amigo's back, he could go faster than anyone except his father and Tug. They could still outrun Amigo. But Nate didn't mind too much.

"Nate!" It was his older brother, Daniel. What was he doing here? Daniel was 22, and worked as a hostler for Baron Arald. "Mom says it's time for supper."

"Coming!" Nate called, heading Amigo for the stable where Tug was watching.

_Do we have to stop?_ Amigo grumbled good-naturedly.

"Mom doesn't like me to be late for supper," Nate reminded his horse. "Do you want to deal with her when she's upset?"

Amigo just tossed his head.

Nate rode Amigo over to his mounting block, from the same tree as his jump, and akwardly scrambled off. Once on the ground, he leaded on Amigo's shoulder as he limped to the stable, his wooden left foot not bending the way his right foot did.

Amigo had been trained to let Nate lean on him, and togther the pair went right into Amigo's stall, where Nate crouched, his left leg out nearly straight so the wooden foot wouldn't shift and throw him off balance, and undid the saddle straps. With a great effort he lifted the saddle off Amigo's back and set it on the saddlerest built into the stall. He did the same with the saddleblanket.

Then came his and Amigo's favorite part.

"Cloth," Nate said, and Amigo reached out with his teeth and grabbed the cloth from it's peg and handed it to Nate, who rubbed him down thoroghly. Nate reached up to put the cloth away, then turned back to Amigo.

"Brush," he said, and Amigo got him the harsh brush for the body. Nate and Amigo finished rubbing Amigo down this way, with Nate asking for an item, Amigo fetching it, then Nate using it and putting it away. It was Amigo's favorite trick.

Nate checked Amigo's water bucket, and noticed it was fuller than he remembered it being earlier in the day. _That's odd,_ he thought, but shrugged it off and left Amigo with an apple.

If they were alone in the stable, Nate might have kissed Amigo's nose, but he suspected that Tug reported to his father, so he didn't this time. It wasn't manly for a fourteen-year-old boy to kiss his horse, no matter how special Amigo was.

_Just so long as you remember I'm special,_ Amigo grumbled. Amigo liked having his nose kissed.

Nate picked up his cane and left the stable with a laugh. He headed for the house as fast as he could, which was faster than anyone had ever thought he would ever go, he had been told, but not as fast as most boys his age.

"Nate!" This time it was his older sister Evanlyn, hurrying from Jenny's resturant with a basket on her arm. Evanlyn could do almost anything with fish, one of Jenny's aknowleged weak spots. The two worked wonderfully together, and Evanlyn had been made a full partner of the business just the year before.

"Jenny told me to take the evening off," she said, slowing ask she reached him. They headed for the house at Nate's pace. "And she sent me home with two pies, one apple and one cherry."

Nate's mouth watered at the thought of Jenny's cherry pie. It was his favorite in the world, even better than his mother's. Alyss was a passable cook, but niether she nor Will had ever managed to master pastries.

"Something's up," he said. "Daniel is home, and Amigo's water bucket was fuller than it should have been."

"Hmmm," said Evanlyn, thoughtfully. All the Treaty children had at least some Ranger training, though only Arratay had gone on to become a Ranger. And part of Ranger training was noticing when things were amiss.

Evanlyn didn't have time to comment, though, because they were on the porch now, and Sable's tail was wagging furiously, though she didn't jump up.

"What's up?" Nate asked as he entered the house.

"What do you mean," his mother Alyss replied, her brow furrowed.

"Daniel is here, Jenny let Evanlyn go home during the supper rush, and Amigo's water bucket is fuller than it should be," Nate stated flatly. "Something is up."

"I guess I shouldn't have refilled that waterbucket," a rueful voice said from the shadows.

"ARRATAY!" Evanlyn squealed, nearly tackling the figure in the Ranger cloak standing in the corner. Nate wasn't far behind her.

"I was on a mission," Arratay said when Evanlyn had finished squeezing him. Uncle Horace had once compared her hugs to those of Skandians. Nate had never met a Skandian, but from the descriptions he had heard, he believed Uncle Horace.

"I got finished early, so I stopped by. I'm only here for tonight, though," he said.

"What were you doing?" Nate asked.

"Can't tell, sorry," Arratay said.

"Supper's done," Will said from the kitchen, where he was stirring a pot of something, likely rabbit stew, his specialty. "We can eat as soon as Halt and Pauline get here."

As if on cue, they heard Tug give a greeting whinny, and heard the answers from two other horses.

Then came a flurry of greetings, as Halt, whose hair and beard had gone completely white, ribbed Arratay about losing Rapids, his horse, in the woods and Lady Pauline fended off Daniel's attempts to snitch a piece of bread from the basket she had brought from Castle Redmont.

Finally everyone was at the table, and so was the food, and everyone was eating and talking and laughing. As he tried not to choke while Halt told an embarrissing story about Will's apprentice days, Nate revised his definition of heaven. It wasn't jumping with Amigo, it was being surrounded by his family.

**And I'm back with a little bit on Nate's future. I've got a heavy school load and two jobs saying this semester is gonna be nuts, but I'm trying to update this as regularly as possible. **

**Many thanks to jellyfish1234, moniquebowman, Hibernia12, abby, and Riley7741 for reviewing. Your reactions made me smile so big I split a cracked lip. **

** ~Tortoise**


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